Colledge?? Are you kidding me?? You could make that case several years ago, Rockmolder Last year he was a very consistent player, and probably the best lineman day in day out. Did he get beat at times? Yep....but so does every lineman in the NFL.

If you choose to dwell on the highlight reels where he gets beat, and ignore the many times he was sustaining blocks, picking up blitzes, and downfield laying down a block for our running game for extra yards...well, you might feel this way.

Granted, the guy got off to a rocky start with the position change and transition to the NFL, but you seem to be judging his past years performance clouded by his early struggles.

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First of all, I'm no O-line expert. I'm not as deep into it as Pack93 is for instance. To me, though, Colledge's play was average at best. He wasn't as bad as Moll and something could be said for Barbre as well. I'm just naming a few.

Just look at some of the games and pay attention to the O-line. Half the time the DE gets to the QB, because Clifton can't seem to make that fast kick-slide anymore and his presses seem to be less effective and half the time the pocket just collapses because of pressure on the inside. Big DTs can just run over our guys way too easily and ahile DTs just seem to pass them.

This has not been anything close to a cohesive unit. I am not 100% certain of the reasons why, though I have addressed some of them in some threads in the past. I personally find it extremely frustrating, and hope that this is the year that this unit finally gets it's act together.

I have suspicions about some of the problems, including being very wary of Chad Clifton, as an example. I would say that Colledge had his best year overall so far last year...That is NOT saying I thought it was satisfactory to my mind.

I think I could say that about all of them.

I'm the guy that a huge piece of me just wanted to dedicate the whole GD draft to the offensive line. I recognized that this was not possible, and also am pleased with our draft, but my sentiment is reflective of my total lack of satisfaction with these personnel to date. I keep waiting for this nonsense to change, but it hasn't happened. Z said since '07? He is getting older, apparently, and is leaving out a year there, imo. at least from my recollection, but I am getting real old comparatively, so never mind this part if I am mistaken.

We might be "deep", but unfortunately it just seems to me that there is little discernible difference between the various pieces of the puzzle, at least consistently. A dominant offensive line is of paramount importance to a consistent play-off caliber team, or a team that can "hang" with any other in the NFL, with very few exceptions.

Handwriting was on the wall for me in the Cowboys game last year. I knew we were done for the year right there and then, and I blame the trench play.

While everyone covets those highly visible "skill-position" players, both through FA and the draft, I submit that the best way to showcase any of those skill position folk is to make damn sure your trench people put them in a position to do so. My feeling is that we have been rolling with the complete opposite, on both sides of the LOS, and whatever successes we have achieved in recent years has been in spite of the LOS play, not because of it. '07 DL for a good chunk of year excepted.

Yes.. I gave them (Colledge, Spitz and Moll) a free pass that season being it was horseshit to expect 3 rookies to start along the line in the first place.

In 07.. they would play one very good game followed up by a disappointment.. last season.. they had less downs but still were a streaky bunch..

IMO.. we should have maybe thought about replacing the OL coaching staff along with Winston Moss.... yes I still am a bit skeptical. :lol:

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I think we are going to have a more physical line this year, especially on the right side with Sitton taking over at RG. I am really curious about the RT battle in training camp. I would like to see Lang win out, but if Babre is the better guy than he should play it.

In a perfect world, at center we should raid someone else's team. I really don't like any of our candidates, and couldn't believe we didn't take one in the draft. I think Wells is too small and with a trunk injury nevertheless. I guess Spitz will be the man.

I'm fine with College at LG, and have changed my mind about him taking over at LT someday. College should stay put.

I agree that this is Clifton's last year. In Minnesota last year he got used worse than one of those Amsterdam hookers (nice metaphor by the way). I would maybe do a 2 year extension for Clifton depending upon how successful his knee surgery was. I'm holding out high hopes for Meredith.

The O-line should be better this year, but it's time to spend some high draft picks on it.

And lastly, Tony Moll should be sent packing in the first round of cuts. All he is is a fat tight end.

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Yeah, Colledge had a great year last year. Unfortunately, hardly anyone seems to have noticed.

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I think you all are missing the point.

There was this thing called zone blocking and the coach wanted smaller faster O-linemen who could dive at the opponents legs.

Different from the Wahle and Rivera days.

It didn't work so well.

With the drafting of Barbre and Sitton the line has been getting back to big guys and more traditional blocking.

If Spitz doesn't win the Center job then he will be on the bench. Tony Moll could be looking for work.

Ted has been willing to draft what the coaches want. Now life will be better after the zone blocking stuff is a bad memory.

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yeah that zone ting didn't work out so well. I'm impressed with Colledge's progression and I've liked Spitz since he got here. I'm pretty high on Sitton and Barbre, so I hope they continue to improve.

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That is the thing though.. we never truly converted to a Zone concept.. instead we were some place in the middle. We tried the "isolation" concept of zone without cutting or chopping.

Personally, having been through camps and seasons running into teams or players that cut.. I hated playing against it, your lower body felt it for days. Every want to piss a player off, go for his knees, so I am glad we as a team chose to abandon the practice.

However, the zone concept isn't real effective if you can't isolate the player; especially when you watch our guys get to high in their stance and play on their heels instead of their balls of their feet..

MM announced they aren't going to shift players all over the place.. which will help, but he denounced the theory that they are changing blocking concepts.. which I hope is a bluff... and they actually get back to good old fashion kick the defenders ass out of the hole concept..

Look, all offensive lineman get beat, that is a reality. The defender is going to win his share of the battles, that is life in the trenches. However, if as an offensive lineman you aren't using proper technique and lose a greater share than you should with proper technique.. then I have an issue.

Consistently use proper technique and fundamentals; as a fan I won't get riled up if you lose the battle because the opponent beat you.

But help him out by not doing the basics correctly, then you bet I am going to piss and moan about it..

That is simply my stance and opinion.. and you can praise Colledge all you want and ignore the fact that in about a 1/3 of the plays he fires out to high and lets the opponent under his pads.. that is fine too. When he plays with proper technique he is a fine player, at tackle I think he would excel in this league.. but as a guard you got to use leverage consistently.. and that is what I see when I watch the kid play. A player that loses focus on the basics for stretches of plays.. and it irritates me to no end. The guy could be a stud on the line if he would get out of his own way at times.. now I don't think he "sucks" or any of that nonsense.. in fact I think he could be a second coming of a Wahle type player if he can just pick it up a notch in focus and intensity.

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I'll say Colledge looked very good. I'm not gonna say great yet. First off you'll were talking about consistent which seem to be Colledge biggest weakness and getting his pads low.

Sometime Colledge looks like one of the best OGs in the NFL... some time he looks average. I'd say he had more great then average plays this last year but I wouldn't say he was great yet but he was one of the better OG I think.

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